Spotlight

Coronavirus: DOD Response

The Defense Department is working closely with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the State Department to provide support in dealing with the coronavirus outbreak.

For guidance specific to the Pentagon Reservation and DOD offices and facilities in the National Capital Region, visit the WHS COVID-19 Guidance page.

For guidance specific to DODEA schools, please go to the DODEA COVID-19 page.

For guidance specific to Military OneSource, family readiness and spouse programs, visit the Military OneSource Coronavirus Information Center.

For guidance specific to the Pentagon Reservation and DOD offices and facilities in the National Capital Region, please go to the WHS COVID-19 Guidance page.

Operation Warp Speed

Using the resources of the federal government and the U.S. private sector, Operation Warp Speed (OWS) will accelerate the testing, supply, development, and distribution of safe and effective vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics to counter COVID-19 by January 2021.

Learn More

Information and resources on coronavirus-related subjects for members of the DOD community and the general public.

Latest DOD Policy Guidance and Resources

Information on the status of travel restrictions for DOD installations, facilities, and locations with greater than 1,000 DOD personnel assigned.

Travel Restrictions Installation Status Update

DOD COVID-19 Cumulative Totals

Cases Hospitalized Recovered Deaths
Military 74,992 821 46,102 11
Civilian 18,162 647 10,032 76
Dependent 11,030 164 6,826 8
Contractor 6,798 251 4,205 29
Total 110,982 1,883 67,165 124
As of 0600, Nov. 23, 2020
Army Seal Army Marines Seal Marine Corps Navy Seal Navy Air Force Seal Air Force National Guard Bureau Seal National Guard DOD Seal DOD Agencies
27,251 8,949 15,648 13,889 8,748 507
As of 0600, Nov. 23, 2020

Note: These presumptive figures will be updated M-W-F and are refined as the Joint Staff Crisis Management Team receives updated/corrected reporting on case numbers.

These numbers will next be updated Nov. 30.

Stories

Stories

Commissaries are adding digital contactless thermometers and children's reusable masks to store inventories, the Defense Commissary Agency's director of sales announced.
The Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization for casirivimab and imdevimab — drugs that together have been shown to reduce hospitalization or emergency room visits in patients who have contracted COVID-19.
Charged with developing and delivering a vaccine to 300 million Americans, Operation Warp Speed paired military planners with experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to work the details of a monumental plan. 

Stories

STORIES

Army leaders at a Pentagon news briefing discussed how the service is deploying field hospitals to New York and Seattle, and what the Army is doing to ensure its missions continue.
About 400 Ohio National Guard troops are supporting Operation Steady Resolve — a humanitarian mission responding to the COVID-19 pandemic affecting communities across the state.
The Navy and Marine Corps are taking actions across the force to prevent the spread of COVID-19, containing outbreaks and recovering the force as quickly as possible, acting Navy Secretary Thomas B. Modly said.
More than 200 military medical students and graduate nursing students will be graduating early to support their colleagues in the U.S. military health system amid the global coronavirus pandemic.
The modeling now available on the coronavirus and the resulting cases of COVID-19 is used to decide where best to place the Defense Department's medical resources, the Joint Staff surgeon said.
The Defense Department has established a task force to deal with daily requests it is receiving for medical and personal protective equipment from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the departments of Health and Human Services and Homeland Security, and others.
National Guardsmen are performing a variety of missions and tasks to support COVID-19 pandemic response efforts including transportation, command and control functions, engineering, and planning and logistics throughout the country.
Three sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt underway in the Pacific Ocean were diagnosed with COVID-19 and were evacuated from the ship, Acting Navy Secretary Thomas B. Modly said.
Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper, Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman Ramón "CZ" Colón-López hosted a virtual town hall meeting from the Pentagon on DOD's COVID-19 response.
The Navy hospital ship USNS Mercy will sail from San Diego and dock in the port of Los Angeles to help lift the burden from local medical facilities that need to focus their resources on patients affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Defense Department hospital ships will go to New York and Los Angeles to help relieve pressure on hospitals so they can focus more on COVID-19 patients, Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper said.
In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, NATO is working together to confront threats, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.
Army researchers are working to rapidly develop and test experimental vaccines to combat COVID-19, the Army secretary said. 
The military's Transition Assistance and Yellow Ribbon Reintegration  programs are changing to decrease the potential of transmission of the coronavirus, officials in Washington announced.
Mission readiness levels in the European Command area of responsibility remain strong despite the reduction of one its largest military exercises due to the threat of the coronavirus.
Senior Defense Department health officials detailed what the department is doing to support the whole-of-government assault on the coronavirus pandemic.
About 2,050 National Guard soldiers and airmen in 27 states have been activated to support coronavirus response efforts.
Two Navy hospital ships will be part of the Defense Department's response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Pentagon's chief spokesman said.
Air Force people, missions and partnerships are in line with Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper's priorities as the nation deals with the coronavirus pandemic, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein said.
The Defense Health Agency hosted a live Facebook town hall meeting to answer questions about COVID-19.
The Defense Department has agreed to provide medical supplies and capabilities to the Department of Health and Human Services to help combat further coronavirus infections, Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper said.
High-resolution images of viruses allow people to visualize what's causing an illness — but they also serve as important tools for researchers working to find cures.
Navy Adm. Charles A. Richard, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, discussed Stratcom's response to COVID-19 during a telephone news conference at the Pentagon.
Many of us feel like we can't control much in our lives right now due to the threat of the coronavirus — but what we absolutely can control is how we react and what we do.
As coronavirus concerns grow, the Defense Department stands ready to provide support wherever it's asked to do so, the assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs said.
Defense officials announced restrictions on domestic travel for service members, Defense Department employees and family members in response to the new coronavirus, or COVID-19.
Army Gen. Robert B. ''Abe'' Abrams, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, briefed Pentagon reporters on the USFK's response to the coronavirus.
In response to the growing coronavirus epidemic, Defense Department officials are looking to safeguard the health and safety of military and civilian personnel and their families.
The Secretary of Defense announced new travel restrictions for 60 days for service members, DOD civilians and families traveling to, from, or through Level 3 locations, as designated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These restrictions are effective March 13.
The Defense Department is taking positive action to protect people, safeguard critical national security missions and capabilities and support the whole-of-government approach to confronting the spread of the new coronavirus.
The Defense Department continues to issue guidance to commanders and directors to combat the coronavirus outbreak, officials said in Washington.
The Defense Department has issued instructions to the armed services and department heads on how to respond to the implications of the growing coronavirus outbreak.
The first phase of testing has already started — testing potential vaccines in mice to see what their response is and making sure it's safe, Dr. Kayvon Modjarrad, director of Emerging Infectious Diseases at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research said. 
Military officials and their civilian counterparts are learning together how to combat the coronavirus, Defense Department officials said.
Defense Department civilian and military leaders are working to ensure the department is ready for short- and long-term scenarios, as well as domestic and international situations.
The Defense Department has identified housing support for up to 1,000 individuals who may need to be quarantined after overseas travel due to the coronavirus, a senior DOD official said.
Although the risk of contracting the new coronavirus virus is low, Centers for Disease Control officials said, they recommend getting an influenza vaccine and taking everyday preventive actions to help stop the spread of germs.
The Defense Department is working with other government agencies in responding to the coronavirus outbreak.

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Novel Coronavirus Outbreak (2019-nCoV)

Symptoms of Coronavirus

Patients with 2019-nCoV have reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms of:

  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Shortness of Breath

If you develop emergency warning signs for COVID-19 get medical attention immediately. Emergency warning signs include*:

  • Trouble breathing
  • Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
  • New confusion or inability to arouse
  • Bluish lips or face

*This list is not all-inclusive. Please consult your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning.

For more info visit: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus

Novel Coronavirus Outbreak - Symptoms: Mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms of fever, cough, shortness of breath. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure. If you have been to China within the past 2 weeks and develop symptoms, call your doctor.

Additional Resources